Heart of Glass *completed*
by Sailorkir
Summary: Severus spends his summer searching for a protector and finds a secret in the dungeons.
1. A little light reading.

Heart of Glass

Author's Note:

When I decided to write this I wanted to see how quickly I could whip something out.  I indeed got this done very quickly, wrote the whole thing in a matter of a few hours.  However I found it to be a bit too thin and I had some of the most horrific spelling and grammar mistakes.  So I am going back through at a proper speed and cleaning this up, I will add a note to each chapter when I complete it and make a note that the story is finished on the title.

As this is my very first attempt at writing a fan fiction and the first writing attempt at all in over 8 years I would LOVE critiques and comments of any sort!

Thanks.  
  
There were two faces to the Hogwarts School. The bustling, lively, and youthful face it wore when classes were in session and students filled the castle in winter. The other face the school currently wore was the soft, quiet, contemplative face when the students were gone.  Those who remained were left to rest and prepare for the next year.  
  
Severus Snape, a professor and resident potions master was taking the time to do some unhindered research within the school library's restricted section. He had moved one of the small tables from the student area to the entry of the section. He waved his wand almost haphazardly at the books calling ancient dusty volumes off the shelves and onto the table. The old dusty volumes flew down like fat ducks and landed with white puffs on the makeshift desk.  
  
Severus glanced at the pile he had formed and suddenly whipped his wand down, ceasing the parade of books. His face wore a soft scowl as he worked over the information he had uncovered in his mind. He bore that scowl a lot over the last few years. When Voldemort had been defeated he had allowed himself the relief of thinking the danger was finely over. Only to have Dumbledore pull him quietly aside the next day to tell him he had reason to believe Voldemort would return.  
  
Snape frowned deeper; working under the guise of one of Voldemort's followers had been dangerous, nerve-wracking business. His wits and skills had kept him free from detection and alive but it had been more and more difficult to maintain the charade. He had done it all without complaint. For Dumbledore, for the school, and for his students, he risked his own life. He dearly loved to teach, as much to have a chance to mold young minds as to demonstrate his unique talents to an audience.  
  
Not the most liked student at Hogwarts when he had attended, Snape had developed a great fondness and respect for his teachers. It had seemed only natural to pursue the career himself. Today however he was not preparing lessons for the next year, although he did make a mental note of a particularly difficult potion to try out on his secret star Hermione. Long graceful fingers waved at a quill, it stirred into a lively dance, jotting down the notes on the potion.  He then made additional notes for things to try as variations and a list of ingredients to get from the potions shop.  Though he could not show favor to a Gryffindor, lest he raise suspicions, he delighted in Hermione's skill at learning even his best techniques. Few came along who paid such close attention to his teachings.  He also delighted in watching her creativity at fixing the horrible mistakes of Neville, since he could then turn about and dash a few points off Gryffindor.  
  
He turned back to his task at hand, letting the quill softly settle by his parchments.  He hadn't let anyone on to his plan or actions.  Not even Dumbledore knew this research was to find anything Dumbledore and the others could use against Voldemort. He wanted something to protect his beloved school, to keep the students and staff safe from harm. Deep down he wanted something to guard him from his most dangerous job as Dumbledore's agent.  Perhaps even to find something that would keep that insufferable Potter out of trouble.  He knew that when the school was first built the area around it had been overrun with dangerous beasts and such. The founders must have had some secret guards in place. A spell or charm or potion, something that helped them tame the area and keep the school safe. He had already found entries in one of the Hogwarts Histories, which gave him hope, and he was now trying to figure out how to unlock the secret.  
  
Three books he had found in the days before had vague references to a "Guardian Glass". It was apparently some type of artifact that one of the founders had used to help secure the school. As he dug further he learned that the item had been hidden. What had not become clear yet was how it was used, why they stopped, and where it was. Forlorn piles of books began to form around Snape like tiny pillars. He stopped long enough to fetch tea from the kitchen to fend off the dust now and then. Otherwise he barely left his place in the abandoned library the whole day.  The quiet and cool of the great room was soothing to him.  As a stack wobbled beside him he would wag his wand in a scolding way and back to their places the books would fly.  
Night stole the light from the empty room; Snape lit a few candles with a word and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his tired eyes and stretched his neck. He rose with a soft groan and paced thrice around the table.  Fine lines of gray dust streaked his soft black robes.  His boots made a quiet heartbeat on the carpeted floor.  There was only one book left in the trail. Some sort of journal hidden in the stacks and it belonged to one of the founders. He waved his wand in the same bobbing dance as before and replaced the last of the book, saving aside the diary.  He used a few quiet words to guide the furniture back to its proper position; he rolled the scrolls and quill into a neat bundle that he tucked into an inner pocket of his robes.  The soft fabric whispered as he readjusted the garment onto his shoulders.  When the room was safely back to order he tucked the journal of Salazar Slytherin under his arm.  
  
Snape left the library, whispering the candles dark behind him and making his way quietly to his room. A few of the school's specters watched him past like a fellow shade.  Mrs. Norris came around a corner and directly under one of his boots before she realized he was there.  He sneered at the cat as it yowled in shock and smirked slightly when she ran full tilt to find her master.  Alone in the castle, it was the only time he could relax, no one to sneak up behind him.  A familiar voice spoke his name from the other side of the great hall. Snape stiffened for a moment and mentally thanked his loose robes for hiding his jerk of surprise. His body still shook slightly; he rarely let himself be caught off guard these days so his familiar scowl touched his face as Dumbledore came into view.  
  
"Finding new ways to make Neville miserable next semester?" Dumbledore was wearing the sly grin he reserved for a select few. Snape lightly tossed his head to clear the hair from his eyes. He kept his chuckle in check but he couldn't help the smirk that pulled at his lips. "I really don't have to expend any effort to make Neville miserable he manages to do that all on his own." He refrained from pointing out to the headmaster that he had a new path to Neville's undoing in his cloak.  Dumbledore clucked and lightly clasped Severus' shoulder and they both started towards the path out of the great hall. "I really shouldn't tease the boy but he does seem to have the worst time of life now and then." Severus only nodded, keeping his long stride in check to match the headmaster's.  
  
"I was past the library twice today Severus, you seemed to be working awfully hard." Dumbledore felt his friend's shoulder tense slightly under his hand. Dumbledore carefully kept his gaze on the crown molding and said more gently, "I'm sure whatever you are doing is with the best of intentions, but it won't help any of us if you make yourself ill." Severus had a word of protest on his lips but Dumbledore continued. "My friend, you should at least attempt to sleep. Perhaps I could locate a draught that would help?" Severus shook his head. "Thank you Albus, I'm going to try an old book, I hear from some of the students they work wonders." He lifted the journal just enough for Albus to get a glimpse and then let it slip back into the folds of his robes.  A light sneer, one Albus recognized as Severus' peculiar humor, curled the corners of his thin mouth.  
  
Albus laughed and gave him a friendly pat. "That they do, that they do. Right then, it's off to the covers myself." Albus parted from Severus' path as they passed the great stairs. Snape entered the hall that lead to the dungeons with a nod of his head. Dumbledore frowned after Snape slightly as he disappeared from view. "You push yourself to hard Severus, we are all in this together." Albus left the great hall and made his own way to his sleeping chamber.  As Severus left the headmaster's view he felt his body release the shiver of fear he had been holding.  He hated being startled and worse, it forced him to admit he had let his guard down; something he could not afford to do.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus opened the almost invisible door to his chambers in the dungeon. The location so carefully hidden that not even the Slytherins really knew where he lurked. His room was comfortable, a heavy carpet and fireplace helped fight off the chill. He had a desk and bookshelves in a smaller version of the common rooms. Snape also had a small alcove with a floor and stand set-up for cauldron work lined with cabinets full of his private stashes. Off of this room was the sleeping chamber. It had a blood red thick carpet, handsome dresser and chair. A dark wood wardrobe and large bed covered with warm blankets. A bed that very often sat unused and pristine.  
  
With a word and a gesture from his wand the fire roared to life. Candles about the room illuminated and a spot cleared on the desk. He set the book down carefully and cleaned off the cover to see if there were any markings. Nothing at all appeared other than the scaled green material it was bound with. Dragon skin and an enchanted lock on top, this had to be the journal of Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house! Snape's eye grew intense as he studied the magical lock. A simple potion would most likely physically remove the lock but the book would be damaged. Finally after a few hours of trying various tests he determined it was a code word lock. He just needed to figure out what the right words were. He tried various possibilities, things that might be common. Then it hit him, he read off the name of the house and the school, Slytherin first and then Hogwarts. The lock swirled with green flashing light and uncoiled to form a bar the shape of a tiny dragon.  
  
The first part of the journal was proving fruitless and Severus was beginning to doze when his eyes saw the words: Today I found our guardian. He snapped back awake, jerking in his chair. He winced painfully and rubbed his neck which spasmed with the sudden effort. As he read on through the book he leaned in more intensely over the desk.  
  
Today I found our guardian. We had been having so many difficulties with clearing the forest back and the animals I was starting to think my companions would want to abandon this site. I felt if I could find a suitable place on the cliff face to start a warding spell we could finally tame the area. I had flown for only a short period when I found the cave ledge. I landed and was immediately beset by a pair of large great horned owls. I dashed further into the cave to escape and finally after a short ways they left me be. I could see some sort of pale blue light ahead of me so I chose to investigate. What I saw took my breath away. I entered a room carved out of the cave. There in the center has an enormous owl nest and sleeping in it was a woman. The soft blue light was coming from a filed surrounding the nest. It looked much like a large soap bubble yet when I touched it I felt the cool smooth finish that can only be glass. It seemed paper-thin and yet it was completely unbreakable. Even more remarkable was who the woman would turn out to be. I began to explore and finally found a small box carved to look like part of the nest. Inside was a scroll. At first when I unrolled it, it appeared blank then strange markings began to write themselves on the page and after they were written they began to shift into English and I heard a voice speak inside my head. I learned from the voice that this was the royal guard of Tirna-Lee the last Fairy City before they fled the earth. She had loved our world and her duty of protecting it so greatly she begged the king and queen to let her stay. So they placed her in the cave under a spell to be awakened by one that had noble and honorable intentions to awaken her.  
  
This was what he had been looking for, Severus rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing his sleep worn body to stay awake and find the key to what happened to the guardian and how he could get her back. He scanned through the next several pages, a few months, then a few years passed on the pages and still no sign of why she was no longer around. Finally the opening line five years after the page that started the story he found his answer.  
  
The tragedy that happened yesterday cannot be ignored. When the spiders attacked me in the forest the guardian leapt to my aide without hesitation. She fought them off but in order to keep the poison fangs of the leader from finding me she at the start of the battle she put herself between us and took the full brunt of the bite herself. She will recover she is strong and we were able to fetch her the proper anti-venom but I cannot let this happen again. She isn't a pet or a mindless soldier as I originally thought. She is an intelligent being and she is the last of her kind. She would throw herself upon her own sword if it meant saving any one of us and I simply am not willing to be responsible for another's life. Tonight I will put a stop to this though I confess I feel I may be doing wrong…  
  
When they brought her to her room to rest I was waiting. We had a quiet conversation during which I slipped her some drugged tea. In her weak state she fell asleep quickly and I replaced the spell that had awaken her. I know that a time may come when the school might come under another threat and I know she would never forgive me if she were locked away hopelessly never to be found and thus not allowed to help. So I have made a simple map to the secret door to her chamber within the school. I have removed all references to her name so that only another chosen person will hear it from the scroll to awaken her. Myself, I hope only to forget the entire incident.  
  
Severus straightened at this news, if this was accurate he should be able to find the guardian somewhere near his own dungeon! His back and neck complained bitterly at being pulled upright after curling over the book so long. His eyes burned with lack of sleep and overuse. He pinched his nose again and tightly shut his eyes. He moved to the chair by the fire and dozed off instantly. Severus awoke with a snap, the memory of his discovery coming back to him in a rush. He grabbed the book off the desk and began to flip through the pages until at last near the back he found the map.  
  
It took only a few moments of careful study to puzzle out the location of the door and he was off through the dungeon halls. He strode with his full gait causing his fine hair to billow out behind him as he went. He reached one of the back rooms he had thought was merely a broom closet and examined the back wall. He found no obvious switch so he pointed his wand at the wall and spoke a spell of opening sharply. The wall shimmered and shifted before him. Stone melded into wood in a twining pattern until he faced a cherry wood door. 


	3. Chapter 3

He took a deep breath and smoothed his hair back away from his face. Composing himself he grasped the doorknob and pulled. The door swung easily and revealed a carved stone stairway that curved down into darkness. Severus summoned a torch from the air and lit it with a word. Holding it before him he still could not see the end of the stairs only the point they curved out of site. He marched off down the stairs closing the door behind him and praying she was still there. He walked down what appeared to be a wide spiral staircase for only a minute or two when he saw a soft blue light glowing before him.  
  
He sent the torch away and stepped into the chamber of rock. A bubble like dome glowing with a soft blue light was before him. It surrounded a giant nest, which was filled with pillows and curled up figure. He got closer and lightly touched the dome; it did indeed feel like thin cool glass beneath his fingers. The figure inside was curled lightly in the center; long black hair lay like a silk sheet about the figure's upper body. He could see none of her other features.  
  
He began to creep softly around the nest looking for anything that might be a box. He passed it once before he noticed the small section of nest that was on his side of the barrier. Of course, it has to be out here or else you wouldn't be able to open it! He bent down and fiddled with it for a moment and lifted the lid. Inside was a piece of golden parchment rolled into a scroll and tied with a silver and green ribbon. The mark of Salazar himself. He untied the string and paused for a moment. What if the words do not appear for me? Should I take this to Albus then? Should I leave her behind in the cave? Doubt caused his eyebrows to sink slightly and his brow to crease. He stood there for several minutes clutching the scroll, afraid of what the result would be. Finally he took a deep breath and unrolled the scroll. Nothing happened and for a split second Severus despaired and then soft flickers of golden light began to dance in the upper corner. They lengthened and danced as though following an unseen pen and words glowed on the parchment. He didn't recognize the language but then up at the top the words began to shimmer into English. A voice in his mind spoke the words on the paper.  
  
"Now be it known to the one who holds the scroll. Before you sleeps the royal guardian of Tirna-Lee. Beloved daughter of Titania and finest of our warriors. Your heart has been judged honorable and pure of intention. The guardian is sworn to defend the helpless, to protect the right, and vanquish evil. She will guard whomever releases her from this resting place, but her services do not come without a price. You must accept the responsibility to care for any wound she receives in your defense. To provide her with food and shelter, to watch over her life as she watches over yours. To break this contract will send our daughter through the void to us never to return to your world. To deny your duties now will leave her out of your reach for the next mortal to summon her. To awaken and release the guardian you must speak her name three times and ask her to awaken and be at your side. We grant you the service of our noble Kirasanth, let the sleeper awaken."  
  
Severus shifted his grip slightly on the scroll holding it before him. He looked straight at the glass dome and spoke in his loudest most commanding voice. "Kirasanth, awaken and be at my side." The dome began to shift and swirl with opalescent colors. . "Kirasanth, awaken and be at my side." The dome began to fade from view and the figure stirred. . "Kirasanth, awaken and be at my side!" Potions students would have fled the classroom at the potion master's tone. The dome was gone; the cave was dark for a moment and then two torches flared to life on each wall. There was a soft sign and yawn from the nest and the figure began to shift and rise. Severus held his breath and clutched the scroll tighter in his hands.  
  
Kirasanth stood within the nest and arched her back, raising her hands in a large stretch. Blue-black hair slid in a waterfall cascade off her shoulders and down her back. She lowered her arms and suddenly a whirlwind of messenger owls from the castle swirled into the cave and swarmed around her. She extended one arm and allowed a large gray owl to land on her fist. She said something to it softly in a foreign language and then gently lifted it into the air with its fellows. The owls swarmed back out of the cave and she turned to face Severus.  
  
His breath caught sharply in his throat, and he took a step back. Pale moon-white skin shone softly under the loose black hair. Lips that were full and pink curved in an uncertain smile. Eyes the color of fire emeralds sparkled at him beneath long lashes. She was trim and shapely, as she breathed the flash of her throat was like a deer's. She took a few steps towards him, moving like something wild and held her hand out. Severus looked at her hand and blinked, What few thoughts had been left whirling in his mind when the spell began had vacated the premises and didn't seem to be planning on coming back anytime soon.  
  
She spoke and the sound was the bird-song that filled the Owlry at dawn. "May I have the name of the one who awakened me?" Severus came back to himself with a snap and looked into her eyes again. "I am Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master." She smiled with more confidence and took his hand in hers. She placed it palm-side down in hers and dipped her head in a small bow. "I'm Kirasanth, I've been waiting for you." He felt her hand quiver slightly under his, saw her shudder. Bare feet on cold stone and only a thin shift and pants covered her. The words of the scroll flashed through Severus' mind again and he came fully back to reality.  
  
"You're cold, there is a fire back in my room." She smiled thankfully and moved to stand beside him, waiting for him to lead the way. He summoned the torch back to his hand and began to lead her up the stairs. She followed silently; the random swish of her loose hair brushing his robes the only sound she made. As they left the broom closet together he felt her shiver again. He scowled again, trying to mentally sort out what the proper behavior around her would be. Before he took two more steps she shifted to be closer to him. He moved his arm around her shoulders so that his robe covered her back as they made their way down the halls of the dungeon. She quietly sniffed the air the whole way from the cave to his room, learning her surroundings. Severus was most interesting, a mix of leather clothes, herbs and oils for his potions, and his own faintly musky skin. 


	4. Chapter 4

He opened the door to his chambers, her eyes darted following his every move and each detail, she would be able to find this room again even in the dark. Once inside he closed the door behind them, checking for anyone in the halls. She moved over to stand in front of the fire and sighed. He watched her from the doorway intently. The light from the fire gave her hair the same faint blue glow as the dome. Her eyes sparkled and danced with the flames. Her skin was illuminated like pale velvet and her Silhouette stood out clearly through her thin clothing. She wasn't the thin little wisps that ran about the school in winter. She was well built and athletic, her body was trim and flexible. As she curved and twisted in front of the fire, stretching and warming herself Severus quietly admired the display.  
  
She yawned then and looked over at Severus. "It takes me a day or two to shake off the hibernation effects. May I rest here?" He found him self saying yes at the same time his mind thought he should say no. "Of course, I'll fetch you something a bit warmer to wear." What am I saying? This isn't proper I'm sure, and what is she possibly going to wear of mine? He headed for his wardrobe when her voice floated back to him. "Just a blanket would be fine, I can sleep by the fire." His brow furrowed slightly, it wouldn't be right to leave her on the floor but he wasn't sure what to say or do. Again his mouth responded before his brain could catch up. "I have a bed in here I'm sure you would find more comfortable." She blushed slightly and looked down. "I couldn't possibly ask you to give up your bed. Really I'll be fine back in the nest, I can summon some owls…" "Nonsense it is big enough for both of us to be comfortable and then we can see to warming your room in the morning."  
  
She grinned at him, and was it just his imagination or was this smile positively lupine. She walked over to him smoothly and hooked his arm in hers, drawing him to the bed. She curled her legs under her sitting on one side of the bed and watching him as he removed his robes and his boots. He started to reach for his shirt collar and stopped himself. She sighed inwardly but she pulled the blankets back for him with a smile. Severus pulled himself into the bed and immediately felt the pull of sleep at his eyes. She saw them flutter in the low light and covered him gently. "You must be very tired, forgive me for keeping you awake." She purred gently in his ear, it was the softest hoot of an owl. Her fingers glided across his brow, smoothing away the hair from his face and he drifted off.  
  
Kirasanth smiled at him, when he wasn't scowling to himself he had what her mother called noble features. A distinct but not heavy brow, a thin cheek line but a strong hawkish nose. His eyes reminded her of her second in command, soft deep brow and always full of worry or thought. She stroked his hair a few more times and yawned again. There was something about his scent, she couldn't grasp what it was but it seemed almost intoxicating to her. She curled up on top of the blankets next to him, resting her head next to his chest and dozed.  
  
Dumbledore decided to keep a closer eye on Snape as the morning sun rose. At the first sign of a yawn he would march him straight off to bed. By afternoon when he still had seen no sign of Snape he became slightly concerned. There was only place he hadn't looked yet for his friend, he knew Snape valued his privacy so he rarely went to his quarters. Typically he found Severus was more comfortable speaking over a meal or in his office or the potions room. He moved at a brisk pace down towards the dungeons.  
  
Severus awoke still feeling the siren call of sleep; he shifted onto his side and started slightly when he discovered a woman was lying next to him on his blankets. He pushed himself up on his elbow and blinked in surprise and then relaxed his posture when his memory returned to him. He realized Kirasanth was wide-awake and quietly watching him, though she had not moved an inch when he awoke. "You've been watching me sleep this whole time." It was a statement more than a question though he sounded a bit perplexed. "Not exactly, I dosed on and off a bit but mostly yes." "That isn't necessary…" She cut him off by lightly placing her hand over his. "As near as I can tell you haven't let yourself sleep for a few days. I know my people can get away with that but it isn't healthy for humans. Besides I have been getting used to your presence."  
  
He cocked his head to the side slightly, "How have you been doing that?" She smiled again and he wondered if she had some sort of spell she laid on people with that smile. "I have been listening to what your breathing sounds like, learning your scent," she shrugged lightly, "I use my senses differently than you. Anyway since you are my new ward it is important to become familiar with every aspect of you I can." He stifled a small yawn and nodded. "I wonder if it is too early for a bit of breakfast?" "Were you expecting company?" He had a few seconds to wonder why she asked such a strange question when there was a knock at the door. He jumped slightly at the sound, and grabbed her hand as Dumbledore's voice came through the door. "Severus may I have a quick word?"  
  
"It's Albus, he is the headmaster of the school, I'd prefer to wait to introduce you this evening. Stay here." He climbed out of the bed and strobe quickly to the door smoothing his hair. He opened the door and almost managed a curl of a smile but it slipped into a yawn. "Pardon me Albus you just woke me, what can I do for you." Dumbledore's jaw dropped open slightly though he quickly recovered. "I'm sorry, did you say you were sleeping, just now?" Snape looked puzzled and dipped his head once. "Yes, I was up a bit late with that book and…" "And it is almost 3 o'clock." Dumbledore was beginning to look slightly amused as Snape looked shocked. "Three!?" Dumbledore began to laugh and he clasped Snape's arm. "My dear friend I was worried you still weren't sleeping so I came to check on you. I guess nature caught you before I could."  
  
"You must be hungry then Severus my goodness, what say we join each other for an early dinner in the kitchen room?" Snape regained his composure as his slight scowl but he nodded. "Yes that would be excellent, I'll be along around four." "All right, try not to oversleep." Albus chuckled to himself and moved quickly away from the door. Snape fought his inflamed cheeks back to a lighter shade of pink as he closed the door. Kirasanth was kindly looking with great interest at the tassels on the bed spread.  
  
"Kirasanth, we should find something for you to wear warmer than that." He began to move back into the sleep chamber. "Kira." He stopped short and tipped his head again. "What was that?" She smiled softly at him, "Kira, Kirasanth is really more of a title, call me Kira, it's my name." He nodded and his brow relaxed a bit. "Very well, then you may call me Severus, now about those clothes…" She brightened and scooted off the bed. "I actually have clothes in my room, I'll be right back." He had no time to stop her with a flash of white and black she was out the door.  
  
Snape made it to the door and looked down the hall in time to see an owl. "An owl?" It had been a large owl black with a white belly and fancy long feathers on it's tail. He stood there perplexed, trying to decide if she go after Kira or wait there for her. He had just decided to check on her when the owl came back around the corner. A travel pouch was in its talons. It moved to land in front of him and as it settled it shifted back into Kira. In her hand was the travel pouch. "Is there some place I could take a quick bath?"  
  
"You're an animagus?" His face was shocked, she looked perplexed now. "A what? Oh! You mean the owl. No, animagus are human wizards and they can only do one animal. My people call me Fumori, a changeling, and I can do a few forms." She touched his arm lightly and smiled at him. "Bath? Care to join me?" He brought his shoulders back and stiffened for a second, bringing himself back to the here and now. "Yes, follow me." He waved her back into his chambers and went to the wardrobe to fetch fresh clothes. He moved to the back of his sleep chamber and opened a door in the far corner. It led to a very short hallway, the two of them barely fit without pressing into each other as he opened the door on the other side.  
  
The faculty bath was, like everything else at the school, enchanted. One room that magically transformed itself into different rooms to suit the tastes of the current occupant. Snape's bath was decorated with a deep green tile and black rugs. A dark wood dressing table with silver fittings was carefully toped with silver grooming supplies. The towels were large and thick that sat beside the large bath. There were candles warmly lighting the room and small jars filled with different bathing oils of his own invention.  
  
He moved purposefully into the room and started the bath filling, he selected two of the jars and let a small drizzle from each fall into the water. He turned to ask Kira if she needed anything from him in time to see the white curve of her outer thigh as she slid directly into the bath, her clothes discarded on the floor. He swallowed hard and nearly choked with the effort. "I'll be back shortly then when your finished." "I thought you were joining me? I think we have enough room in here, this tub is like a pond." She had made her way to the edge nearest him and when he turned to look at her he found he had no argument left. The water was just passing her waist, if he just stripped slowly enough then she would be safely hidden from is view. Of course then issue was how to get into the water decently himself. 


	5. Chapter 5

She seemed to sense his hesitation and as gracefully as she moved she was facing away from him, on the other side of the bath. She looked with great interest at the bottles lined in that corner. "So, what are these exactly?" He let out his breath in a grateful puff and stripped quickly. "Bath oils, I make a variety, they each have different properties." "Oh, how clever!" She said this brightly and sniffed lightly at one. Her nose wrinkled and she inhaled deeply. Severus had barely gotten himself bellow the water when she turned with the bottle in her hand. "This one seems to have turned on you, I can't smell anything at all." He fought to keep his heart out of his throat and moved back from her a step. "That one is a cleaning oil, it works much better than simple soaps, I don't give it a scent." "Oh that IS clever."  
  
She slid right up to him and reached past his shoulder to place the vial on the ledge. He looked like a mouse cornered by Mrs. Norris and his voice almost cracked, "Must you stand, quite so close?" She looked almost startled herself and slid back towards the other side. The faint smell of the forest from her hair lingered about him. The silence that followed was awkward and a little panicked. Each tried to reason out why they kept acting in such a strange manner. Both concluded they were probably just hungry or tired, and both flushed at the thought of the large empty bed back in his room.  
  
Kira was first to change the subject and end the awkward silence. "So should I be in this form or would you prefer something else when I meet the headmaster? Salazar always thought it was best I stay unknown as much as possible so I always stayed with him as his pet snake." Severus started to look thoughtful and she tipped her head to the side, looking him up and down. After she appraised him she said firmly, "You seem like a wolf or an owl man to me." "Wolf and a snake, those are your other forms?" He wasn't directly looking at her, his eyes were locked on a wave in her hair as he mulled over the new information. "They are two of my easiest." He shifted his gaze back to her eyes, "I want Albus to meet you in your real form, but there is merit to having you in disguise I agree. We should discuss that with him."  
  
Silently she was pleased with herself for making a good suggestion, she was a fighter not a strategist. She stretched in the warm waters and sighed lightly. Then without a word she turned and walked the few steps to leave the bath. She turned sharply when she heard a strangled shriek from Snape. He had one hand over his eyes and was patting madly for a towel with the other. Kira looked completely at a loss and then remembered. "Good lord you could have reminded me you people don't normally share communal baths I forgot!" She padded over quickly and snatched one of the towels. "I'm covered your safe, and thank you so much for the compliment!" Flustered and suffering from a slightly bruised ego that her body would cause such a reaction she quickly stormed out of the bath.  
  
Snape lost what little color he had in his face and sagged against the side of the bath. "She could have told me that her people used communal baths!" He took a few deep breaths and climbed out of the bath himself. "Maybe I should have let Albus awaken her, he has less trouble with women." Snape dried himself and dressed quickly, he was smoothing his hair back as he entered his room. She was standing before the full-length mirror near the dressing screen. Her hair was brushed, smooth, and flowed as she moved. She was wearing forest green long sleeved shirt with full sleeves. It was tucked neatly into a pair of loose bloused forest green pants. Leather boots of soft gray doeskin laced up to mid-calf. Over the shirt she wore a doeskin vest that stopped mid thigh and was laced briefly closed at the waist, with long slits on the side and in the back stopping just bellow the waist. A matching loincloth of the soft doeskin cut knee-length swung gently as she moved. The edges of her clothes all sported a small silver stitched vine pattern, the mark of the house of Titania.  
  
Snape sharply sucked air into his lungs in a slight hiss and he simply stared at the warrior woman before him. Kira's eyes flashed slightly when she looked at him and she looked slightly flushed. The sound of quarreling owls asked him if he was ready to proceed to the meeting and was he quite sure he wanted to be seen with her. So lost in her eyes Snape missed the jab entirely. He took her hand smoothly and his voice was soft and sleek. "It will be entirely my pleasure if you would be my guest for lunch." Kira wanted to scream, so inwardly she did. Human men were proving to be far too complicated for her.  
  
The pair cut a handsome and striking figure as they strode into the kitchen. Albus was surprised at the strange woman's presence but he rose politely to greet them both as they neared the table. When Kira came before him and he caught his first good look at her he sat down abruptly and looked at her as though she simply shouldn't be. Which in his mind she shouldn't, for he recognized who and what she was instantly and he knew that she should have left when her people did long ago. Yet right before him stood one of the legendary fae-folk. Kira looked at him with her head tipped to the side in her now familiar quizzical pose. Finally she held her hand out and rested it on Albus' hand on the table. "Are you feeling well sir?"  
  
"Dear lord, Severus, where did you find her?!" He was looking at Snape as though he had just bitten the head master. Calmly, his composure finally restored, he gestured for her to take a seat and held the chair for her. He sat down across from Dumbledore himself and placed his napkin gently in his lap. "Albus I would like for you to meet Kirasanth…" He was cut off by the headmaster's shocked outburst. "Kirasanth, the royal guardian, you managed to spirit away a member of their royal family and you brought her here?" Albus was only barely keeping his normal composure in check his voice nearly cracked at the end. Kira put her hand over Dumbledore's again and as their eyes locked he froze. She was smiling at him and she gave his hand a light pat. "He most certainly did not 'spirit' me anywhere, I asked to stay behind. He just woke me up."  
  
Albus blinked at her a few times, took a deep breath and calmly looked at Severus. "Kindly explain to me what is going on here." Severus explained his search for something he could use as protection, perhaps even to protect the school. He told Albus about finding the journal and what had been written. Through all of this Albus kept one eye firmly on their guest who was keeping one eyes firmly on each man in the room. Between the trio, the tea grew cold. Finally Severus got to the point of Kira's recovery and bringing her to Albus. He noted as she watched Severus during his narration that there was something soft in her eyes and he smiled to himself. Severus finished and quietly poured Kira a cup of tea before filling his own cup.  
  
She sniffed the steam from the cup lightly and then sat back and sipped the tea quietly. Albus sat back in his chair and stroked his beard thoughtfully. Severus sat ramrod straight in his chair with his hands clasped on the table. After a few minutes of silence Albus leaned forward and began mapping out points on the table. "So let me be straight about this. Kirasanth…" "Kira please." "Kira, of course, she is bound to protect you from harm." They nodded at him and he continued. "You have to be able to follow him about to do this." Kira nodded again and he tapped out the third point on the table. "And because she can shape shift you suggest that from now on we let everyone think you have a pet owl who doesn't leave your side." Kira leaned forward slightly, "Actually I suggested the wolf suited him better but he felt better about the owl."  
  
Albus went back to stroking his beard lightly and Snape offered Kira a plate of small sandwiches. She looked at them with interest and finally selected a small cucumber sandwich. She sniffed at it daintily and took a small nibble. She made a small purr of a approval and smiled happily at Severus. He melted on the inside though outwardly he kept his cool composure. Only Albus saw the potion master's eyes soften and smile back at Kira. He nearly laughed out loud at the unlikely pair but he kept his own composure. Kira finished off two sandwiches and a second cup of tea. Albus lightly dabbed at the corners of his mouth with his napkin and set it on the table then brought his hands together with a clap.  
  
Well I confess I'm a bit surprised you'd be this impulsive about something Severus, however what is done, is done. I see no reason why Kira can't stay just as you both suggest. If it worked out before then it should again now. As long as we keep quiet and Kira keeps to her owl form I think this could work out well for all parties concerned. Kira smiled happily and Snape relaxed his shoulders ever so slightly. Albus rose from the table and nodded at both of them, then he put one finger to his lips. "I wonder if I might," Kira immediately rose and as she spun around behind the chair she transformed into the black owl. She swooped behind Snape and up onto Dumbledore's outstretched fist. "Magnificent, very striking plumage, Hagrid is simply going to fall in love with you." She hooted softly and then lifted from his fist and landed on the back of Snape's chair.  
  
Albus bowed to the both of them and moved to leave the kitchen, he was just to the door when he turned to look at Severus once more. "You may as well finish catching up on your sleep Severus, it won't be all that long before the halls are full again." With that he was gone and the two of them were alone. Severus absentmindedly picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite. He felt the owl shift slightly behind him and he started slightly. Then the owl was gona and Kira came back to her chair. "That will take a bit of getting used to, having you lurking back there." She arched one eyebrow at him and snorted softly, the huff of a bird of prey. "Hardly lurking, remember it means that now someone is watching your back, you have eyes in the back of your head." He laughed, a harsh rasping sound but with genuine mirth. 


	6. Chapter 6

He gestured to the table when his laughter subsided. "Are you still hungry? Can I get you anything?" She shook her head and rose with a slight stretch. She shifted to her owl form and when he rose she flew to him and lighted gently on his shoulder. Severus was amazed at how gently her talons held her in place without marring his flesh. Her reached up with his finger crooked and stroked the feathers of her thigh and wing. They were soft like fine silk, and when she shifted slightly her feathers made a delicious soft whisper in his hair. Severus gave the slightest shiver as he turned and walked back to his chambers.  
  
When they entered his chambers and he closed the door she hopped off his shoulder and transformed midair to land just behind him. Severus turned so swiftly that they collided and he instinctively clutched her arms to balance them both. Her hands came up to rest on his chest and their eyes locked. They stood in stunned silence gazing into each other's eyes. At the same time Kira's mind raced to determine what the strange emotions he was causing were, she was acting on them. The very most primal parts of Kira were taking over and she pinned Severus suddenly to the door. His eyes widened and he gasped as she pressed firmly against him. She brought her lips to the soft spot on his neck just beneath the ear and growl- purred.  
  
Severus grabbed for her arms to push her back, he let out a gasp that sharpened to a yelp and his eyes bulged. She reached up and clasped his hands in her own. Her lips brushed lightly across his neck and the pink tip of her tongue brushed his earlobe. Severus stiffened completely and gasped louder, his brain trying to wrap around this turn of events desperately. Her instincts as Titania's daughter, seducer of men were taking over. She traced the angle of his jaw with her nose, her hot breath curling down his throat. Though his voice was barely audible he managed to whisper desperately at her. "There must be an herb I work with causing this. Try to get ahold of yourself and we'll find an antidote…"  
  
She paused for a moment her eyes cleared and she focused on the man she had pinned to the door. He looked so much like a cornered rabbit she had to laugh. She didn't release him though, she slid one of her arms firmly around his waist and held him to her. She partially supported him and partially dragged him towards the bedchamber. Severus now had to wrap his mind around the realization that the wild look was gone from her eyes but she was not letting him go. His brow knitted as swiftly analyzed his situation and her laugh surrounded him. It was the soft call of owls at night, the distant song of the wolves and it was as tangible to him as a velvet robe.  
  
"Your features are charming when you don't mush them together like that." She reached up and smoothed at the spot on his forehead. When she felt the edge of the bed at her legs she stopped and pulled her fingers down the side of his face and traced the curve of his ear. He shook his head slightly and pushed her away again. He started to tell her she was confused, she didn't want him, that she didn't have to do these things to stay, anything to make her stop. Then he saw the same genuine and slightly lost look in her eyes, she hadn't expected it but she was doing this because she wanted to! He had a split second to savor the realization and suddenly he was being dragged down to the bed.  
  
She had shifted as they fell together so that she landed beside him. She rolled on top of him, pining him down. She dipped her head and ran her lips across his adams apple up to his lips. Her hair lightly fell across his face as she moved and as he took in the wild scent of her hair she pressed his lips in a firm kiss. He ran his fingers through her hair with one hand and outlined her shoulder with the other. She lightly nipped at his lower lip and then ran her tongue across his lips. He took a deep breath and pulled her close to him with surprising strength. She laughed happily but the sound was muffled as he pushed his mouth against hers.  
  
They kissed unmoving, the silence rolled with growing passion and then they broke the embrace to gasp for air. He ran his hands down her sides running them up to her back where her skin was bare. She sighed and arched her back as his fingers traced down her spine. She dipped her head back down and started to lightly kiss and nibble along the ridge of his ear and the curve of his jaw. She ran her hands across his chest and down his arms. Then she grinned wickedly at him and shifted off of him.  
  
He sat up practically tearing his robe to get it off, he flung it to the floor and started removing his shirt as he turned. His shirt was opened and un-tucked when he found himself facing a large black wolf. The she- wolf licked her chops slowly and layed her ears back slightly. Severus gasped sharply and froze, his eyes locked on the wolf's large green eyes. Kira's voice growled from the wolf's throat at him. "Don't worry I don't bite, hard." Severus laughed sharply and sat down on the edge of the bed, his shirt forgotten.  
  
The wolf walked to him and sniffed at his throat and face. He reached up with one hand and brushed the fur on the side of her neck. It was soft as down and he moved so that one hand could run through the mane ridge on her neck and the other could caress one of the silky ears. Her tail wagged slightly and she leaned into his hands, she took one of his wrists gently in her mouth and pulled him over so that he was laying back on the bed. She curled her tail so that it wagged across his chest and licked hotly at his throat. Her fangs gently grazed the soft flesh in the hollows of his shoulders and across his neck. He sucked in breath through his teeth. She hit a particularly sensitive hollow right at the base of his neck and he laughed and moved away.  
  
He heard her laugh and felt her hands gently pull off his shirt from behind, he saw her vest land lightly next to it on the floor. As she raked her fingernails lightly up his bare sides he shivered slightly. Her lips brushed right next to his ear and her soft husky whisper blew warmly past his cheek. "I don't think I'd have pegged you as the ticklish type." He turned to face her, color rising slightly to his face. Where he thought he would see condescension or mirth there was only delight and affection. He hadn't had a woman look at him that way in a long time. He just stared at her with blank surprise and finally she lightly tapped his shoulder. "Still with me or did you spy a will 'o wisp?"  
  
Now it was his turn to smile at her and he brushed at his eyes slightly with his hand. "No you just, keep catching me off guard, I must still be a bit tired." She adopted a mock serious expression and hoped lightly off the bed. Before he could move she had one of his feet up on her thigh and she was unlacing his boot. "Oh well we can't really allow that, I mean that makes the game unfair if you can't keep up." She had the laces loosened and pulled his boot off smoothly. She moved to his other boot with another wolfish grin. "I think it would mark a breech in our contract if you give me a heart attack the first night hmm?" She laughed as she pulled the other boot off. "Don't worry." She moved swiftly and with more strength than he would have guessed she had and gracefully pulled him up fully onto the bed. "I'll be gentle at first." He laughed so loud that Peeves, unused to the sound, avoided the dungeon the rest of the summer.  
  
She watched him laugh, admired the way his muscles rolled on his chest and arms, and the way he smiled genuinely. His face softened, and he looked for all the world to her like one of her own. She reached out, moved one of his feet to her lap, and started to massage it. He moaned loudly and clutched at the blanket. Her hands were strong and moved gracefully across the sore flesh. He closed his eyes and relaxed back onto the bed as she kneaded along. She would pass over a spot now and then that would make him groan softly and twice he snorted back a laugh. She shifted finally and started on the other foot, working out the tensions in his arch bringing the blood flow back to normal. He nearly passed out from the sensation.  
  
He lay still taking deep breaths, his eyes still closed and he felt her move beside him. Felt her long hair brush along his chest and side and he kept his eyes closed, afraid to open them and break whatever spell he was under. Her hands gently coaxed him to roll over and he felt her straddle his waist. She started to knead at his shoulders working in towards the base of his neck then up his scalp. He moaned softly into the pillow and as she shifted the massage down the center of his back he made soft noise almost like a whimper. She concentrated on the massage, he had knots all across his back and she spent a good half-hour working all of them out. She paused and stretched to relieve her own tired neck muscles when she heard an odd sound.  
  
She climbed off him and leaned forward, she had to clasp her hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh. He was snoring softly into the pillow, deep asleep. She giggled softly and watched him for a few minutes as he slept. Finally she gently eased him onto his back and loosened his belt. She fixed the pillow beneath his head and pulled the covers across him. She watched his face again, relaxed his eyes looked softer, his lips were slightly curved in a smile. A few strands of dark hair crossed his forehead and she gently brushed them away. She yawned and stretched next to him and unlaced her boots lightly tossing them to the floor. She watched him for a moment or two longer and then pulled the blanket back on one side down to his waist. She curled up next to his side and rested her head on his chest, listened to his heart beat and the soft rush of air through his lungs. She smiled smugly to herself, "Mom would be so jealous, I made him pass out before we even got to the good stuff." She dozed off next to him and hardly noticed when he moved his arm around her, holding her close. 


	7. Chapter 7

Severus awoke feeling disoriented and slightly out of body. He could tell from the small globe on his night-stand that it was his normal time to awake. The glass sphere showed the sun was in position to begin rising in an hour. There was something on his chest and for a moment he thought he was paralyzed until he realized his muscles were highly relaxed. He opened his eyes and looked at his chest. A ball of green and gray leather lay next to him and a blanket of silken black hair lay across his chest. He reached with the hand that wasn't holding her and brushed her hair aside so he could see her face. Sparkling leaves glittered in her eyes as she smiled at him and he jumped slightly. "How long have you been awake?" "I woke up when you did, your breathing changed."  
  
He just stared at her, waiting for her to dissipate as he woke up. She stretched and kissed his belly lightly before she left the bed. She started to walk towards the bath, slowly removing the laces at her thighs. "Well I don't know about you but I plan to start the day with a hot bath." He blinked after her as she walked, she paused halfway across the room. "Some company would be nice if it wouldn't be too much of an ordeal this time." She grinned over her shoulder at him and tossed her top at him lightly. He was up like a first year and at the door in a shot. She laughed as they entered the hall together.  
  
Her hair hid her from his view as they entered the bath but as she walked he caught a glimpse of the curve of her bust and flushed. He leaned over the bath and started it filling, he added an oil that made the room smell like the forest after the rain. Her pants dropped beside him and her bare calf brushed his shoulder faintly as she stepped into the tub. He quickly removed his pants and slid in quickly after her. She walked to the far side of the tub and turned to smile at him. The water was already up to their waists and he strode over to her. He reached out and lightly grabbed her arm, and sighed when she did not disappear. She smiled coyly at him and clasped his arm in turn. "Don't worry, if you fall asleep again I'll pull you out of the pool." He barked a laugh and pulled her against his chest.  
  
She tucked her free arm around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist. They looked like dancers for a moment caught mid-step in a waltz. The water reached their chests and shut itself off. Severus' eyes flashed and he moved to catch her earlobe in his teeth. She closed her eyes and ran her fingernails across his scalp. The perfume of her hair and the oils filled his nostrils as he ran his teeth up the edge of her ear. She moaned softly and clutched him tightly to her body. She lightly ran her finger nails down the sides of his back and he quivered against her. He ran his tongue from her ear lobe down to the hollow of her shoulder and lightly bit her again. She moaned louder and raked her nails more firmly up the center of his back.  
  
She ducked her head so that they were face to face and then they were kissing. He reached out and gripped the edge of the tub, pressing her against the wall. They kept their lips together in a firm kiss, then she slightly parted her lips, moving his open and drew the air from his lungs into her own before softly exhaling. They breathed together for a moment and then softly began to caress each other's lips with their tongues. He whimpered slightly and she dragged her nails up the outside of his thighs. He groaned loudly and released the wall to grab two handfuls of her long hair. She moved against him faintly, moving them towards the stairs.  
  
As they glided from one side of the bath to the other they ran their hands along each other's bodies. Their fingers paused to tease sensitive spots and slid on in a vine-like pattern. They were both lost in their senses, memorizing the sights sounds and smells of each other. Finally they reached the stairs, she guided him to sit halfway out of the water. She pressed against him caressing his hair and neck, pulling her hands down to rub along his chest. She moaned softly with each breath in and purred happily with each breath out. He traced her body as if he were magically conjuring her from the air and water. He would shift from the lightest fingertip brushes to firm strokes of his palm. His long fingers, so nimble from his work danced with skill across her body.  
  
He pulled her up gently to kiss her soft mouth, to relish her warm lips and as she shifted to meet his lips with hers she moved so that he entered her. He gasped softly and almost pulled away from her but her lips held him in check. Their hand found each other and they laced their fingers together. Gently she began to move on top of him slowly bringing him as far into her as he could fit and then almost withdrawing. They dipped their heads towards each other like owls after a mouse each seeking to land a kiss on the other's neck.  
  
As the pace increased Severus released her hands and brought his down to her thighs. He worked them up her soft skin in short bursts matching her movements. Finally they pressed against each other and their soft cries echoed through the bath chamber as climaxed together. He reached behind her swiftly and pulled her tightly to his chest. He buried his hawkish nose deep into her long hair and wept quietly. She could hear the faint sound of his tears felt the extreme release in his body. She held him to her and subtly pulled them back to the center of the water where they held each other quietly in the light steam of the bath.  
  
Finally Kira broke the silence that had enveloped them as she gently brushed the hair from his forehead. "You realize, I hope, that you'll never be able to get rid of me now." Severus lifted his head from her shoulder and peered into her eyes. His brow furrowed slightly and he held her tighter to his chest. "Why on Earth would I ever want to?" She smiled playfully and twirled a bit of his hair around one finger. "Well the novelty might wear off when I start leaving dead mice at the foot of your bed." He laughed and spun them lightly in the pool. He dipped and nibbled at the finger playing with his hair. "As long as you don't leave them in my slippers I think we'll be fine."  
  
They laughed together and drifted in lazy circles in the water. She reached up quietly at one point and caught one of his tears on her finger from it's perch on his cheek. "I didn't think I was being rough, did I injure you?" He snorted and wrapped his fingers around hers. "No, of course not. Let's call it a slight overreaction to the situation." She tipped her head slightly and he laughed. "I am not the most, liked, member of the faculty and due to my position I have had to push everyone in my life as far from myself as possible." He drew a deep breath and drew his hand through her hair. "It is, overwhelming, to be the focus of so much loathing and suddenly be the focus of…" He searched her face for the word that his mind wouldn't allow him to speak. She moved so that her nose was just touching his. "Genuine affection?" "It is not a luxury I thought I would ever have again." He spoke softly and firmly, looking her right in the eye.  
  
"Then we make perfect sense really, I faced the same thing when I entered the glass." She caressed his cheek softly and smiled when he kissed her fingers. "I hope my relentless attentions won't prove too much for you." He let out an evil chuckle and pinned her against the side of the pool. "I can take you on, I think." She laughed and wrapped her arms and legs around him. "I'm at your mercy oh ruthless one." They laughed and kissed and made love in and around the pool until well into the afternoon. They finally paused for a meal and so he could tour the grounds with her.  
  
She attacked the roast beef he presented her with even more zeal than the tea sandwiches. There was something comical to him about the large black owl eating a sandwich that he spent much of lunch chuckling. They had agreed that she would not leave his room any way but as the owl and he would not leave his room without her. He could communicate with him as the owl but her voice was not as clear as it had been as the wolf but he understood body language well. Together they toured the main parts of the school Snape roamed. They also went to several places he didn't tend to frequent including the owlry and the entrances to each of the dorms. 


	8. Chapter 8

They returned to Severus' chambers as evening came on, he awakened a fire in the grate as they entered. He disappeared into his bedroom for a few moments and emerged dressed in black slacks and shirt, he had left the top few buttons of his shirt undone. He sat down on the carpet in front of the fire and waved for Kira to join him. She sat cross-legged across from him with a look of curiosity on her face. He seemed to think for a moment and then waved his wand and muttered some words under his breath. Before them appeared a picnic spread on silver platters from the kitchen.  
  
She laughed as he leaned forward to pluck a grape from a bowl and offer it to her. She leaned forward and allowed him to place the grape on her tongue. Over the course of an hour they laughed quietly, nibbled from each other's fingers and shifted so the eventually they sat leaning against each other facing the fire. They watched it's shifting colors and chatted quietly. She asked him about what he did at the school and how long he had been interested in potions. He asked her what brought her to seek out a military position among her people.  
  
She listened to him talk about his father who had raised him alone, his mother having died of a weak heart when he was a child. His father had been a magical components expert had always studied the various properties of new and old things alike and Severus had always been along to help. His father had never left him home for any of his adventures which, he supposed, was why he never felt very comfortable with more than one or two people around.  
  
His mouth twisted into an ironic smile as she described what should have been a pampered life as a princess disrupted by a bevy of male siblings who delighted in tormenting her. She described the day her mother suggested she learn to beat them at their own game and the path to warrior. Her father it seemed had been put-out that his daughter had not been much of a delicate flower as her name suggested but her mother had been very proud. She had been not only one of the best of the school but also one of the youngest to earn her title.  
  
When the stories had ended the fire was glowing more than dancing. The platters were mostly bare and glimmered slightly in the light. The wine bottle he had summoned with the meal stood dry and glowing back at the fire. And they lay entwined on the soft rug, their pale skin reflecting the colors of the fire making them seem like one person as they made love. They quietly rose when the fire went dark and slipped under the covers together. She held Severus to her quietly, stroking his hair and relishing the warm currents of his breath on her skin. He fell asleep with his head on her shoulder and she dosed off with her nose buried in his hair.  
  
Severus stirred awake and struggled to determine what was amiss in his room. The globe told him the sun was just about to rise, so he had not over slept. Everything seemed in it's place. He realized that Kira was amiss, or rather missing and sat up looking around the room for her. He had just concluded she was indeed gone from the room when he heard a faint stirring in the hall and she came in quietly through the door. Her hair was pulled into a thick braid and there were a few tiny bits of brush tangled in it. She shut the door carefully behind her and walked back towards the bed room.  
  
She grinned at him when she saw him watching her and hopped lightly onto the bed next to him. "Morning, you certainly stir early." He scowled very slightly and glance from her to the door, before he could speak she patted his arm. "Have no fear I was very careful to stay as an owl except to open and close the door and made sure there was no one around when I left or came back." "Is there something wrong? Something I should know about." She reached out and smoothed slightly at the crease in his brow. "Nothing to scowl about, I went with two of the school's owls and three of the forest's. We flew the edge of the school grounds and then we tracked several of the animal trails in the forest itself." She stretched and plucked idly at a leaf in her braid. "Dawn patrol as it were, right before dawn is when you are most apt to spot things amiss in the forest."  
  
"There are a few hours between night and day when the forest is still, between shifts as it were." She leaned forward and planted him with a light kiss. "So what is on the agenda for today?" His scowl relaxed and he raised an eyebrow as he counted of the work he needed to finish before the students came back. She laughed, "You surely aren't going to do all of that in one day." "No, not in one day, but it will be the focus of my work for a week or two at least." Severus got out of bed and started towards the bath, she hopped up and followed him casually in. While he bathed she pulled the remianing leaves from her hair.  
  
As the day wore on and Severus attended to setting up his classroom Kira decided it was safe enough to leave him to his work and went on an exploration of the castle. She had flown from the dungeon up to the main level and was on her way into the main hall when she spotted Albus moving along the corridor. She altered her path and swooped down to fly level with his shoulder. He raised his eyebrows for a moment as though trying to puzzle out this odd behavior, then he smiled and held out his arm. She landed lightly on his arm and stepped up to his shoulder and hooted softly into his ear.  
  
"Well then to what do I owe this unexpected visit? A message from your master?" She shook her head and called again. "I was hoping Severus wasn't becoming so anti social as to send me owls in the same building." Albus winked at her and she made the owl equivalent of a laugh. She turned her large about to make sure there were no others present and spoke quietly into his ear. "Actually I was patrolling the school and stopped to say hello, I won't trouble you further Sir." He clucked softly, "Albus, if you please Kira, actually if you would like to accompany me I am going into the east tower today to check on the classrooms." She trilled her acceptance at his offer and the two of them went off together.  
  
As they went from room to room She would sometimes lift off of his shoulder to explore the room. She took note of the paintings in the halls and who seemed to live in each one. She flew up to the rafters and explored the inside and outsides of the windows. Albus was checking that equipment was in it's place and the rooms were cleaned. They kept each other company in relative silence. Once in a while one or the other would speak to ask a question or comment on something but mostly they just enjoyed having company on a fairly dull errand.  
  
They had just left a scroll writing classroom where three of the magic ink wells seemed to be running dry when one of the hall portraits spoke up. "Well well well I dare say I recognize that plumage." Kira was startled off of Albus' shoulder at the sound of Salazar's voice. She flew a circle in the hall to make sure they were alone and as the owl landed Kira straightened in front of the portrait. "Salazar?" She reached out and paused, her fingertips a hair's breadth from the canvas. "Good for you Kira, never could fool you. I don't even think Dumbledore knew it was me." The man in the painting was dressed in red and gold and appeared to be one of the famous old quidditch players from the school's first years. Salazar had loved the sport and did indeed play, He disguised himself even for the portrait so that he could play quiet games without be pestered as one of the school's founders.  
  
Kira's face pulled into a hurt frown and she pulled her hand back to her side. "I have nothing to say to you, traitor." In a whirl of flashing green eyes and black feathers the owl sailed at top speed down the hall and was gone. The portrait watched her leave soundlessly and turned back to the headmaster, Albus had an eyebrow crooked at him in an expectant manner. "I don't suppose you plan on telling me what all that was about do you?" Salazar sighed heavily and leaned on his broomstick. The door to Sverus' chambers burst open and Kira swooped in, slamming the door shut behind her. She dashed to the bed and wept quietly, clutching the pillow Severus used to her chest.  
  
Kira didn't leave his room until well into the afternoon when she rejoined Severus in his classroom. She was quiet as he finished his work and through tea and dinner. Although he knew that something was wrong he couldn't think of anything he could do for her so he left her be. When their meal was finished She had moved to stare at one of his bookshelves. He stood behind her for a moment and watched her shoulders move as she breathed. "Perhaps if you told me what was wrong I could," He was cut off when she whirled on him. "Being stuck in the glass is horrible, It's like being asleep and aware you are and not able to wake up. It's knowing everything is living around you and being permitted to join in, and it was so damn lonely!" Her voice rose to a shout at the end and her words came out in a rush.  
  
She looked like she was on the verge of tears or punching the wall and Severus backed slightly away from her for a second. "I didn't know you were aware of what went on around you while you were under the spell." He couldn't think of anything to say, couldn't understand where this was coming from but he knew the reason. Something made her think about being trapped in the glass and she was afraid of it, afraid of being alone for so long. Even though he sneered and scowled at the lot of them he could admit the idea of no human contact for years on end sounded more like a prison than anything to him. He reached out to her and hesitated for a moment before resting his hand on her arm.  
  
Her eyes flashed at him brightly and she was breathing quickly fighting back the near panic she felt, fighting back the memories. "I'm not a toy or a plaything Severus. Salazar decided he was bored, or I was too much work, or some other senseless logic and he tricked me! He said he wanted to check on the nest and see if it was still there and when I stepped inside the chamber he put some kind of stun spell on me and encased me in the glass again." Her eyes watered slightly but she did not cry. "He told me through the glass it was for the best. He never asked If I wanted to go back. I would have left if he hadn't wanted me as a protector, I could have found some other person or place to look after."  
  
She drew a deep shaking breath and peered at Snape, looking for understanding. "Certainly I don't know what all of his motives were but I do not think he truly meant to hurt you." She snorted angrily and her eyes flashed again, He stepped forward and took both of her hands in his own. His long cool fingers wrapped around her warm skin and held on firmly. "I promise Kira, I would not do anything like that to you. If you wanted to leave you are welcome to find your own way but as long as you wish to stay with me. I only want you to stay." He pulled her towards him and took a step forward, enveloping her in his robes as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
They stood quietly as minutes passed, the only sounds their soft breathing. Finally he felt her shift slightly and leaned his shoulders back slightly to match her pose. They looked into each other's eyes silently, reading each other's thoughts. Finally she made a soft chuckling sound and looked down. "What is it?" She laughed a little harder and looked him in the eye. "Father would be so pleased." He arched an eyebrow at her. "My very first princess-like tantrum." Severus tipped back his head and laughed as he pulled her back tightly against him in a firm hug. 


	9. Chapter 9

The next few days passed fairly quietly for the residents of the castle. Kira sought out and apologized to Dumbledore for leaving without a word. Albus waved it off with a mild smile. He didn't bother to tell her that he had heard Salazar's version of the story she had told to Severus. He completed their little chat and waved at her as she flew from his window to explore the upper parts of the castle. He wordlessly finished his note telling Severus what he had learned. When he left the note quietly on Severus' desk he muttered to himself. "I hope you see the warning in this my friend, but I suspect it is too late already, I hope you remember who your friends are."  
  
When the weekend arrived Severus dressed in a lighter robe than he normally wore around the school. Kira noted that this robe hung loosely open but didn't question his new appearance. When they headed to the doors of the castle instead of the kitchen for their morning meal she nibbled lightly at his ear lobe. Though he didn't change expression when he reached up and rubbed her claws lightly she thought the corner of his mouth twitched. He adopted his normal scowl as they neared their destination and had to fight not to raise the corner of his mouth at her as she whispered in his ear. Oh Hogsmeade! I haven't been here in so long."  
  
"I thought this would be a good test run for us to see how people react to my gaining a pet as it were." She shifted slightly on his shoulder and though she was quiet he could feel her smile and was pleased. If anyone in they passed new the potions master they would have recognized his dark scowl without a second glance. The black owl on his shoulder did win him a few curious looks from a few of the shopkeepers who knew him but it was nothing more than a glance and shrug. Lots of wizards and witches owned owls after all, he clearly waited until he found a particularly unusual one. "So far so good." He thought to himself as he entered the cool dark of the bar and went to sit at a table nearer the back.  
  
The waitress who had served him for years strolled to his table with a mug in her hand and a tilt to her head. As she set his mug down in front of him she appraised his new addition. "Well Professor Snape if that owl wasn't made just for the likes of you none was." He sneered slightly at her as he took his mug. "I wasn't aware you had become an owl shop here." She snorted and flicked her hand at him, brushing him off as she always had. "Too bad the poor thing has to put with your sour disposition, I just meant the color matched." He simply nodded as he raised the mug to his lips.  
  
He spoke as quietly and quickly into his mug as he could. "Well if she didn't find it any more strange than that." He simply trailed off as the liquid reached his lips and he took a sip. She slightly clutched his shoulder with her right claw to indicate agreement. They spent several minutes in the bar as he worked slowly at his mug. His scowl became a genuine sneer as the door opened to admit a massive head of scraggly black hair, followed slowly by the rest of Hagrid. He had wanted to avoid the groundskeeper, he knew Hagrid would loudly comment on his new 'pet' and he wasn't ready for the attention.  
  
If there is any justice he won't see us and we can slip quietly out. It was as if Hagrid could sense a new animal by magic. He looked straight at them and made his way over to the table right off. Severus sighed softly and scowled at Hagrid as he stopped in front of the table. "I suppose you'll be joining me then." He practically spat it out but Hagrid seemed oblivious and merely sank into the chair across from Snape. The chair groaned slightly but held. Hagrid rubbed his beard and looked at Kira quietly for a few minutes before he finally said anything. "You know Professor Snape, I can't keep my mouth shut about this in good conscience." "About what?" He snapped, his knuckles went slightly white on the mug handle.  
  
Hagrid looked at him very seriously and continued to stroke his beard. "Well I don't know what the man said who sold you this owl but, well, there isn't any such thing as a black owl. It was probably magicked to look like that." Severus nearly choked his beer back through his nose and set the mug down hard. "What?" He snapped, a little louder than he intended. Hagrid just nodded very seriously and took a drink, emptying his mug. "I bet it was just a barn owl, by it's size and they fancied it up, I hope they didn't try to tell you it was a special breed." Hagrid was so sincerely concerned Severus might have been conned that Kira had to fight not to laugh. She let a single soft warble escape as Severus tried to mentally remind his heart of it's duties. "Some of those dealers are real scoundrels about that. If you want I'd come with you to have a word…"  
  
Severus cut him off, "No, no, they told me she was just a barn owl. I thought the color was, attractive." He could feel her laughter and wondered if she could feel his irritation as well. "It was sort of a custom order in fact." He quickly drank a mouthful of beer to make himself quiet. Hagrid beamed happily then and reached his large finger out to her. "Oh well as long as you weren't tricked by anybody, I couldn't stand for that." He lightly brushed at her claws and she gingerly stepped onto his large fingers. "She is a beauty, very healthy, good plumage. I bet she could really mouse too if she wanted." She called softly and fluffed her wings before stepping back onto Snape's shoulder. Severus manage to finish his mug in a record time while Hagrid spoke.  
  
He rose and tossed a few coins on the table. "Thank you for the concern Hagrid now if you'll excuse me I have errands to run." He was out the door before the giant could say another word. As the door swung shut Hagrid shook his head. "That man needs a woman, he's way too uptight." 


	10. Chapter 10 The End

Severus had composed himself quickly once they were outside. He muttered under his breathe to her as he headed towards the main road. "I still need to pick up a few things from a components shop." Again she gripped her claw slightly to let him know she understood. For her part Kira acted every bit like an owl when she was in the form. She made the same noises and responses and even idly preened herself and looked about like they did. If it wasn't for the subtle gestures or noises she made to him or even the rare soft speech Severus felt he might forget himself that she was more than an owl.  
  
They entered the dark potions shop and she made a soft chuffing sound as all the aromas in the air overwhelmed her. There were far to many that smelled like death or evil and she could see all to well what some of the jars held with her acute night vision. Severus handed the shopkeeper a list and then moved back towards the door. "I didn't think about how strong the odor in here would be to you, why don't you meet me at the entrance to town this will only take a little while." She made a soft call and nibbled his ear. He opened the door for her and she was gone, like a magic shadow.  
  
She sailed over the town in a lazy circle, dipped and swooped past a few messenger owls out on errands, and lighted in a tree near the town entrance. True to his word Severus rounded the bend in the street minutes later He had two paper parcels tucked under one arm. She flew from the tree and made an impressive dive, her wingtips brushing the dirt road before angling sharply up around him to land neatly on his shoulder. He snorted and raised an eyebrow at her slightly. "Going to try for the quiditch team this year?" She made the chuckling sound and fluffed out her chest.  
  
They made their way back to the school quietly and went down to his office. She changed into her human form with a stretch and followed him into the bedroom. He set all but one of the parcels on the stand near the door and began unwrapping one. He sat on the bed and gestured for her to sit next to him. As he got one end opened his long fingers reached inside and pulled forth a chocolate, which he placed in her hand. The heart-shaped candy sat in her hand for a second before shifting into the shape of a rose blossom. She looked up at him with a smile and started to nibble on the chocolate as he peered back into the bag.  
  
His voice came out in a silky whisper, "I think there are a few in here even more talented than that." She grinned at him and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He was just pulling one out to demonstrate when she froze and tipped her head to one side. Before he could say anything she was up and opening his door. An owl flew in with a raven in tow, after a rush of bird song she turned to Severus. "Someone is in the forest I need to check it out, I'll be right back." She moved to go, then turned back to him and grabbed his hand. "Stay inside, please." Then she was off in a flurry of beating feathers.  
  
Severus suddenly dropped the bag of candy and clutched tightly at his arm. He didn't have to look to know that the fire was the mark on his arm coming to life. The mark flared painfully and eased back into a throb. He snatched his wand from his desk and headed out of the dungeons at a brisk walk. By the time he reached the front gate he was almost to a run and it was all he could do to keep from sprinting across the grounds to the forest. The pain grew more persistent as he entered the forest and made his way to a clearing, filled with other death eaters. He crouched quietly in the bushes just outside of their circle and waited.  
  
They were manipulating something on the ground and when they finally straightened he realized it was raven they had killed and splayed with its wings open on the ground. They were starting to lay a circle of a thick green liquid down when he recognized the spell. They were attempting to create a fly spell that would land them inside the school grounds. They were going after someone and Severus didn't have to guess whom. As the circle was finished two wizards, wands at the ready stepped inside the circle, each with a foot on one of the raven's wings. They were softly chanting the name of their victim.  
  
"Dumbledore, Dumbledore, Dum…"  
  
Severus stood and pointed his wand at the wizard closest to him in the circle. Before any of them could react he placed a sleep curse on the first one and silence spell on the second. The two men nearest Severus, that were still standing, lunged at him. They collapsed in a heap and the third still standing pointed his wand at Severus' head with a sneer. The words of his spell were lost in the howl of pain as the large black owl plunged her talons full force into his fist. She brought her beak forward and snapped his wand in two. His other fist swung around but she lifted away before he could connect.  
  
Kira landed behind him as the owl and he spun around and lunged at her. He threw himself on the silver dagger she had just drawn, knocking them both to the ground. She shoved his body off of her and leaped to her feet. She came up face to face with the now mute wizard who attempted to stab her with his own wand. She sidestepped and caught his wrist; with a jerk she flipped him over and his skull made a cracking sound as it hit the ribcage of the raven. She leapt to the two that has Severus pinned as one pulled out a dagger and aimed it at Severus' chest.  
  
She kicked his elbow causing the blade to plunge into the earth next to Severus' shoulder. He brought the dagger up and slashed back at her, glancing her calf as she hopped away. The other wizard brought his wand up and transformed the ground she was on to mud. Severus brought his fist up and caught the wizard straight in the jaw. Kira had been just about to leap back from the wizard's stabbing charge when the ground beneath her suddenly softened and grabbed her feet. Her hands came up and shoved his blade up. Severus heard the fabric tear and the sound of the blade as it sliced through her skin.  
  
The dagger went into her shoulder up to the hilt and for a moment his momentum brought him up face to face with Kira. They were pressed together like dancers for a second and then in a flash one of her hands came up to the back of his head, she grabbed his hood and yanked backward at the same time twisting her body. The side of his head connected with her knee and he slumped like a rag doll to the ground. Severus had his wand hand free and his spell was faster than his attacker's hands. The death eater on top of him stiffened like a board and fell off to the side, freeing Severus.  
  
As he shoved the frozen wizard the rest of the way off of his legs he heard Kira grunt as she yanked her feet free of the mud. She stumbled and landed on her hands and knees. He grabbed her sides and pulled her up to a kneeling position. She weakly reached for the dagger; her skin was turning gray before his eyes. He grabbed the hilt of the blade and pulled it free, he recognized the green oily poison that clung to the silvery metal. Her body began to shiver as he got her to her feet. Leaning heavily on his shoulder Kira managed to take a few steps before she passed out.  
  
He could feel her skin getting colder through her shirt and he stooped to pick her up. She was light for her size but he still strained to hold her up, clutching her tightly to his chest. "Stay with me, please don't do this to me." He made it halfway back through the trees when he spotted the light from Hagrid's lantern and heard Fang's loud sniffling. Severus called out and was relieved to see Albus was with him as well. Hagrid gently took Kira into his arms and Albus led them back at a run to the school.  
  
As they ran Severus quickly explained what was afflicting Kira and he raced to his potions room as they took her up to the nursing ward. Severus ran over the potions he had stored in his classroom in his mind. As he flung open the doors to the room and whispered the words to unlock the closet he stored many of his mixtures in his mind settled on the indigo bottle that should hold a thick sweet smelling liquid. The only antidote for chimera poison, a vicious oily green poison that adapted to its victims body within minutes becoming the perfect killing substance for whatever it had infected.  
  
He shoved the bottle on one of the shelves aside knocking two to the ground. He ignored the shattered glass that stuck in his ankle like tiny missiles as his hand closed around the long neck of the indigo bottle. He took the stairs two at a time up to the infirmary, his chest was on fire from the exertion. He burst into the room, Kira was in one of the beds, and Hagrid had tucked the blanket up to her chin. Severus opened her mouth gently and held the bottle upside-down letting the blue syrup drip down onto her tongue. He looked at Hagrid and told him to hold the bottle just as he was.  
  
Hagrid took it gingerly from him, Severus reached out and pulled the blanket back from her shoulders, and then he pulled aside the fabric of her blouse and vest to expose the deep wound. Reaching up into the neck of the bottle with two thin fingers he scooped out some of the antidote and gently pressed it into the wound. When he brought his hands away Albus whispered a bandaging spell over the wound. Severus started gently stroking Kira's throat, forcing her to swallow the thick liquid. After they had emptied about half of the bottle into her he gestured for Hagrid to set it down.  
  
Albus gestured to Hagrid and quietly gave him instructions to take care to the intruders in the forest. Hagrid nodded quietly and slipped out of the room. Albus sat back down next to Severus. They didn't say a word and the only sound was the deep breath Severus took when Albus clasped his shoulder. After a few minutes passed, her shivering stopped and her skin shifted to pale white from the sickly gray. "Perhaps now would be a good time to look at that ankle?" Severus blinked at Albus for a moment and then looked down at his ankles where bits of glass twinkled back at him.  
  
He reached out and touched her check, her skin was warmer and her breathing was even. He stood up and followed the headmaster to another part of the room where the two of them carefully extracted the glass and closed the wounds. Severus waved Albus away when he moved to heal a bruise on his check. "Not now Albus, really." He stood and went back to her bed and sat down beside her. He was there until she woke up finally the next morning. Her eyes were tired as she looked at him; they blinked slowly when he leaned forward. Quietly he whispered into her ear, "Why did you risk your life?" her breath barely stirred his hair when she replied. "I'd give up my own life for you, I love you Severus."  
  
Kira woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. She spotted Severus sitting next to her quietly and smiled at him. He reached out and took her hand in his and he squeezed it lightly. "You shouldn't be so hard on Salazar, he wasn't trying to hurt you, he was trying to protect you." She blinked a few times and tipped her head faintly to the side. "I'm sure you understand better than any of us what it means to need to protect someone you love." She nodded; her eyelids were fluttering softly as she started to drift off again. "I can't protect you any better than he could, in fact I'm practically throwing you in harms way as long as Voldimort is out there and I have this." He touched his mark with his free hand and then gently set her hand back down.  
  
He stood and quietly left the nest and picked up the scroll. "I'm sorry that I cannot protect you any better but until this crisis is over I can't let you be hurt for me." He lifted the scroll and whispered the words at the bottom, his voice was barely audible, his lips were dry and his eyes watered softly as brilliant blue light filled the room. He rolled the scroll and placed it back in the hollow stone. He touched the glass with three fingers and whispered softly to the shadow inside; then he turned and left the cave.  
  
Albus was waiting for him at the top of the stairs. "Salazar didn't want the responsibility of her life on his hands. I think she will know the difference between his rejection and your gesture." Severus didn't reply he simply continued down the hall. Albus finally spoke up when they neared his office door. "Will you visit with her from time to time?" He stopped at his door with one hand on the knob and looked Albus in the eyes. "Every chance I get, my heart isn't made of glass you know." Albus smiled as Severus turned and disappeared into his office. Sitting as his desk Staring into the fire, Severus ran a long black feather against his check, brushing away a single tear. 


End file.
